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Find out moreA subtle, beautiful piece of writing and illustration that perfectly encapsulates time and place, and an old man's golden memories of one special day
Longlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award
Award-winning David Almond tells a lively story which captures the exuberance of a trio of lads and one girl who set off one hot summer morning to run from their homes in Newcastle to South Shields. There’s no training, no special kit, no crowds – just the gang enjoying the freedom to run and the kindness of many who keep them fed and watered along the way. And it is a distance of thirteen miles so exactly half a marathon. Old Harry, now walking with a frame and on his way to a care home, tells young Liam, a boy in the present who has just got a place in the junior Great North Run, all about the trip and the magic of it. In doing so he shows a slice of a different kind of childhood set in David Almond’s home ground of Newcastle and the surrounding area. In this beautifully produced new edition, Salvatore Rubbino’s illustrations also capture the period and the sense of place brilliantly. ~ Julia Eccleshare
That's reet, lad! Run! There's a wolf at your tail! Run for your lovely life! A joyful, uplifting story of times gone by, from the internationally acclaimed author of Skellig, illustrated in full colour by the award-winning illustrator of A Walk in London.
Liam just wants to go out running with his mates - it's not long till the Junior Great North Run, and there's training to be done. But Mam needs him today, to help old Harry clear out his house. Harry knows a thing or two about running. When he was a lad, he says, he ran all the way from Newcastle to South Shields. But Harry, says Mam, that's thirteen miles! Harry grins. Different times, he says. This is the story of that day: of sweltering heat, clattering boots, briny sea air and the heavenly taste of ice cream; the day when Harry and his pals ran and ran and ran through the blazing sunlight all the way to the sea.
First written in association with the Great North Run, this evocative tale inspired by Almond's own childhood is published here as a full-colour gift edition, with glorious artwork from illustrator Rubbino.David Almond's fluid prose flavoured with the evocative cadence of the north-east dialect enables readers to vividly ex perience old Harry's account of running with three friends from Newcastle to South Shields when he was just a child. The Bookseller
This is a wonderful book! The illustrations perfectly match the story, which gives such a strong sense of period. Wonderfully evocative of much simpler times, it leaves a lasting impression of hope for the future and belief in humanity. Inis Reading Guide
David Almond's fluid prose flavoured with the evocative cadence of the north-east dialect enables readers to vividly experience old Harry's account of running with three friends from Newcastle to South Shields when he was just a child. Marilyn Brocclehurst The Bookseller
...a joyful, uplifting story of times gone by from the internationally acclaimed author of Skellig, illustrated in full colour by the award-winning illustrator of A Walk in London. Loma Books
David Almond's fast-moving tale brings the past and present together in two stories about childhood and the excitement of running. [...] Salvatore Rubbino's illustrations for this new edition capture the period and the sense of pace brilliantly. Guardian
| ISBN: | 9781406365924 |
| Publication date: | 1st September 2016 |
| Author: | David Almond |
| Illustrator: | Salvatore Rubbino |
| Publisher: | Walker Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 64 pages |
| Year Groups: | Key Stage 2 |
| Topics: | Historical Fiction |
David Almond was our Guest Editor in September 2011 CLICK HERE to see his choices. David Almond is the acclaimed author of many award-winning novels for children such as Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and My Name Is Mina, and has collaborated with artists Polly Dunbar, Dave McKean and Oliver Jeffers on fiction for younger readers. David's books sell all over the world, and in 2011 he was the recipient of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. He lives in Hexham, Northumberland. Click here to read more information about the author. Julia Eccleshare on David Almond: One of the best-loved and finest writers of ...
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